All Specialty Coffee

The coffee that you encounter out in the world falls into one of two categories: specialty or commodity. These classifications represent very different degrees of care and traceability.

Commodity coffee (the 'C Market'), as its name might suggest, prioritizes mass production over quality. The low price of this coffee often undervalues the intense labor and investment required from communities to grow and harvest coffee.

In contrast, specialty coffee represents higher commitments to harvest quality and unique flavor profiles and typically reflects the best growing practices for any given region. As defined by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), these are coffees with a score of 80 or above when tested for flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, and other key grading attributes. Alongside their high quality, specialty coffee producers—from independent farms to grower cooperatives—are customarily more sustainable, traceable, and better compensated for their efforts.

At Equator Coffees, we exclusively purchase specialty coffee and frequently pay an additional premium to ensure that we are sourcing the best of the best and sufficiently investing back into our talented producer partners and their communities.

There are many different ways of categorizing coffee beans, including roast level, origin, and even caffeine levels. Here’s a quick guide to navigating the coffee options on our website, as well as other specialty coffee marketplace:

• By roast: Roasters have a tremendous impact on the flavor of the coffee that we drink, designing a roast profile to bring out the best flavors and to cater to a variety of different palates. Descriptors like “light” and “dark” are a quick way to summarize how long a coffee was roasted as well as the temperature of the roast. A light roast coffee typically offers more fruity or floral complexity, while a dark roast brings the toasty and rich flavors that many coffee drinkers are accustomed to. Everything else—medium-light, medium, and medium-dark—reflects the range of nuanced roast levels in between.
• By type: While there are a range of coffee categories out there, Equator splits ours into four: blends, single origin, espresso, and decaf. Blends are recipes designed by our roasters to combine beans from two or more origins—for example, Sumatra and Colombia—while Single Origin Coffees indicate that all of the coffee is from the same farm or cooperative. Decaf, of course, are our coffees that have undergone a chemical-free decaffeination process. Finally, our Espressos are roasted specifically to excel when brewed as espresso.

Everything we mentioned above—whether purchased whole bean or pre-ground—is still fresh Arabica coffee. It’s worth knowing that coffee can also be purchased in entirely different forms, such as instant coffee, ready to drink cold brew, and even pre-packed in various pods, capsules, and sachets.

Since everyone’s palate and preferences are a little bit different, our recommendations vary based on the individual. We created a coffee quiz for just this reason. If it’s your first time trying out Equator, we highly recommend taking this 2-3 minute quiz to get connected with the best coffee for you, which is what is most important.

Still, there are some frequent favorites. Many fans of classic and versatile blends often love our namesake, Equator Blend, and our Fair Trade & Organic certified Mocha Java Blend.

Fans of espresso can’t go wrong with our three best sellers in the category: our dark & toasty Jaguar Espresso, or Dipsea Espresso and Tigerwalk Espresso, which are subtly sweet and chocolatey.

If you are a fan of more overtly fruity light roast coffees, you really have to try Ethiopia Sun Dried Natural. It pretty much has its own fan club here.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! From AeroPress to espresso machines, we have step-by-step brew guides for each of our favorite methods of making coffee at home. Experimentation is the name of the game, but a bit of research is key to ensure that you don’t overinvest in equipment that doesn’t fit your lifestyle and palate.

We also make specific brew method and recipe recommendations on the page for each individual coffee. Here is some general information to be aware of:

Pourover—Chemex, Hario V60, Kalita Wave—is a beloved and meditative way to make coffee, typically just 1-2 cups at a time. Dialing in an exciting new coffee on your favorite pour over method can be coffee heaven. All of these methods do a great job of extracting all the subtle flavors that we love, but they also take a bit of time to execute well.

AeroPress is another great way to brew one cup of coffee—a pretty strong cup of coffee, at that—and typically takes less time from start to finish. AeroPress coffee makers are light and durable, making them travel-friendly.

French Press is a tried & true classic, known for making full-bodied and rich coffee. As far as methods go, French Press is less hands-on than pour over, but requires ongoing cleaning and care to keep the equipment in good condition. Sizes vary, but brewers like the Fellow Clara French Press make up to 2 cups at a time.

Drip Brewer is a general term for the coffee machines found everywhere from home kitchens to hotels. They are the ultimate convenience for brewing coffee for moderate to large groups. At their worst, coffee machines can be a bit watery and inconsistent. Yet with the right drip brewer—and a good understanding of its settings and upkeep—you can have a reliable coffee companion for many years to come.

Espresso machines are the tool of the famed barista, enabling you to start making your favorite cafe drinks—latte, cappuccino, flat white—from the comfort of home. The range in capability and complexity is vast within this category, so finding the right espresso machine for you is an absolute must.

Finally, cold brew is a method true to its name. For those hot summer days, there is nothing quite like a coffee brewed cold and served with ice. With brewers like the Hario Mizudashi out there, it’s never been easier to make cold brew a part of your home coffee routine. The key is to plan ahead, as this method takes longer than its “hot brew” counterparts.